Rise of Nations
by Meridianpony
Summary: There is something wrong in the world. To the West, a king falls, and a tyrant rises. To the North, a desperate Prince fights for his people, struggling to reclaim his homeland. The land is full of discord and terror, and the Fire Nation armies advance, leaving trails of destruction in their wake. The Nations must stand together... or they will fall to the flames. Avatar AU
1. Chapter 1

His knee is on _fire._

Well, not literally, because if it was, he'd be able to do something about it. Instead, it throbs in pain with every step he takes as he stumbles on icy chunks below him, and it is all he can do to keep silent as it is strained across the ground.

He has burns running up and down his arms, and the tips of his hair are singed. That's nothing he's not use to—every firebender has had his fair share of burns—but these are particularly bad. It's not so much the pain of the wounds that truly hurts right now—it is the harsh sting of betrayal and the loss of a trusted friend that hurts the most, like a brand across his chest.

Oikawa can't remember a time when things have been worse than this.

The ice is sharp beneath him, glistening with a cold, disconnected beauty. It cuts into his soft shoes, the light material not meant for long treks on top of an iceberg. The wind bites at his battered body viciously. If he does not find some sort of shelter soon, he will die out here. His own fire can only save him for so long, and night is falling, fast. The weak sun is sinking in the sky, blazing a trail of soft red and pink hues as it drops beneath the horizon. If Oikawa had been at home, safe and warm in the palace of the fire nation, he would have stopped to enjoyed the gorgeous view.

Except he's not home, and he is struggling over sharp ice, limping every other step and biting his lip furiously to hold back tears that will freeze on his face the second they fall.

Darkness is closing, and as it does the wind picks up even more, flinging snow across the frozen desert. Oikawa's light robe ( _far_ too light for these conditions) whips around him, and he lifts his arms to cover his face in a fruitless attempt to protect his eyes.

If he stops, he knows he will die, so he rubs his fingers together and creates a tiny flame across his hands. Its heat is only barely felt in such conditions, but Oikawa nurses it from the wind, and presses onward.

His knee shakes now. It is barely holding his weight, but the rest of his body is completely numb. That's not a good sign.

In his attempt to move quicker, and due to the impending darkness, he fails to spot a jutting slab of ice near level with his calves. He stumbles over it and, without thinking, throws out his leg _hard_ to save himself—

His scream of pain is lost in the howling wind as his knee finally gives out. The tiny, hopeless fire in his palm goes out as he tumbles into the snow.

It feels like a hot poker has been thrust into his knee. The stabbing pain refuses to subside, too, and Oikawa can do nothing but grit his teeth and curl up in a tiny ball in a futile attempt to protect himself from the elements.

He wonders if this is how he will die. Alone, betrayed, turned into a frozen relic of the North Pole.

To be fair, he doesn't think it's the worst way to go. The Fire Nation royalty of old had tended to have a history of extremely violent and bloody deaths. Oikawa counts himself lucky that he will not be among them.

He tries to start another fire, but his fingers refuse to obey him. His body shakes with effort, but he can barely move. He wants to scream in frustration. His hair and eyelashes are crusted over with ice, and there is a thin layer of snow across his body. The wind continues to howl around him, it's cold fingers clawing at him without reprieve.

 _It's cold._

His mind is numb, too, and with one final effort, he lifts his head to look across the icecap.

He can't see very far, but for an _instant_ , the wind dies down, and there is a figure standing in the distance.

Someone is there.

Oikawa's eyes widen, and he redoubles his efforts to move, managing to sit up and gasping at the popping sound his knee makes when he does. He can't see the person anymore, but someone _was_ there a moment ago.

This is Oikawa's last chance to live.

He refuses to die like this.

He can't call out—the wind is too loud, so instead he focuses on his bending. He takes a deep breath. It is hard to concentrate, to summon warmth in such a desolate, freezing place, but Oikawa is determined. His exhale through his nose is accompanied by a rush of heat and a puff of flame.

With a strangled shout, Oikawa uses up the last of his strength in a frantic slash through the air with his arms. Trails of flame follow his fingers, and for a brief instant he is lit in brilliant orange and yellow light before it is snuffed out by the wind again.

He collapses after that. His energy is completely spent, and he can only hope that his desperate beacon was seen.

He is beginning to drift off, knowing full well that once he falls asleep, he will not wake up again, when boot-clad feet fill his fading vision. Oikawa registers the sight slowly and blinks in surprise, but he can barely move, much less clear the freezing fog from his numb mind.

The person reaches out and grabs him, shaking him harshly. Oikawa feels the movement, and it kind of hurts, but his eyes are drifting closed, and he doesn't feel that cold anymore despite the snowstorm whipping around him. The stranger shouts something unintelligible, lost in the storming wind and snow. Oikawa is shaken again, and this time, it jostles his knee. He groans weakly, the world swimming in a blur of blue and white.

He's just _so tired._

The stranger's face finally comes into view. His hair is spiky, partially covered by a blue parka, and his eyes are wide, expression a strange mixture of worry and anger as he says something that Oikawa still can't hear, lips moving and breath coming out as tiny clouds of vapor.

He is the last thing Oikawa sees before he succumbs to the pain and cold, and the world fades into soft darkness.

* * *

 _"_ _My prince," Hanamaki says, bowing in an exaggerated, sarcastic motion. He can do that because they are alone_ — _the rest of the crew are in the mess hall. Oikawa rolls his eyes at him and leans across the guardrail of the ship, shooting his friend a grin._

 _"_ _Quit it, Makki. I told you that it's not necessary, even if you are being sarcastic about it."_

 _Hanamaki flashes him a mischievous smile as he straightens. His Fire Nation armor clangs against metal as he positions himself next to Oikawa, his arms resting lightly on the railing. They look out across the sea at the fast approaching icebergs. All is silent save the rolling waves for a long moment, until Hanamaki shifts, looking pointedly at Oikawa's hand._

 _"_ _Your father's letter arrived."_

 _Oikawa's fist clenches around the crumpled piece of parchment._

 _"_ _Yes," he confirms bitterly. "It did."_

 _"_ _So..." Hanamaki prompts slowly, "good news or bad news?"_

 _Oikawa sighs. His father loves him, but he puts the priority of the Nation over his own family. He understands, but he doesn't like it._

 _"_ _Neither," he says bitterly. "He doesn't have time to, you know, give his son advice on how to be diplomatic to the water tribes. Instead, it's, oh, Tooru, I'm trusting you with this menial task that I'm too busy to do, don't screw up!"_

 _Hanamaki winces and pats Oikawa gently on the shoulder._

 _"_ _Hey," he says quietly. "Don't_ — _"_

 _"_ _I know, I know, Makki," Oikawa interrupts in a falsely cheery voice. "It's fine. Father is the Fire Lord, after all. I need some sort of diplomatic experience anyway, and father can't just trapeze across the ocean to visit a tiny tribe. It's_ — _it's better if I do it."_

 _Hanamaki makes a quick noise of acknowledgement._

 _"_ _Stop thinking about it so hard," he says. "Honestly, what would you be doing if you were still at the palace? Training, strolling around the garden...doing your hair for hours at a time_ — _"_

 _"_ _Hey! I do not!"_

 _"_ _You totally do, and that's not the point, idiot."_

 _Oikawa pouts. "Don't speak to your prince that way."_

 _Hanamaki snorts at him._

 _"_ _Whatever you say, your majesty. But really, back to what I was saying. You'd be really bored if we didn't come on this trip." He pauses for a moment and looks out across the glistening ice. There are a million different shades of blue and purple within the frozen water, shades that are rarely seen in the warmth and humidity of the Fire Nation. "We wouldn't get to see this gorgeous view."_

 _Oikawa grins. Makki is right, as usual_ — _it is gorgeous here, and Oikawa loves the sense of adventure that he gets from travelling. This is why Oikawa made Makki his advisor._

 _A breeze flutters past them, and Oikawa shivers. He's only wearing a thin robe_ — _long sleeved, yes, but it isn't thick enough for the North Pole._

 _Makki catches the movement and shakes his head. "Idiot," he says, but his tone is fond. "Go put some warmer clothes on. It's freezing out here."_

 _Oikawa sighs and nods, turning on his heel and heading towards the door leading into the underbelly of the ship._

 _Oikawa reaches for the doorknob, but before he can open the door, he hears something on the other side_ — _it's a familiar sound, since he hears it every time he bends. It's the snap hiss sound of flames, and it puzzles him, because who would be bending inside the ship at a time like th_ — _?_

 _He never has the chance to finish that thought, because a moment later, the entire doorway explodes, and Oikawa is engulfed in a whirlwind of light and heat. For a moment, he is airborne._

 _Then he crashes into the deck hard, and the breath is knocked out of his lungs._

 _"_ _Oikawa!" Hanamaki yells, panic painting his tone, and Oikawa blinks the stars out of his eyes to see Makki launch himself forwards just in time to redirect a large fireball that would have hit Oikawa directly in the face._

 _"_ _Move!" Hanamaki screams, and Oikawa rolls to his feet, still gasping for breath. Makki dissipates another fireball, as Oikawa positions himself behind him, falling instinctively into his firebending stance. He scans the deck for the source of the threat_ —

 _No._

 _No, this can't be happening._

 _Their crew. Oikawa's loyal, strong, powerful crew, handpicked by his father… or supposedly loyal, it seems. Every single one of them, even the nonbenders, have armed themselves, and are facing them with leers on their faces._

 _Please, let this be some sort of horrific dream._

 _"_ _What are you doing?" Oikawa snaps, expertly managing to keep the tremor out of his voice. "Stand down, immediately!"_

 _Their captain, a large man whom Oikawa had trained with periodically throughout their trip, steps forward. Hanamaki stares him down fearlessly, and Oikawa's eyes widen as the man draws his sword with one hand and summons flames in the other._

 _"_ _Sorry, your majesty," he says, words twisted with sarcasm. "But Ushijima's paying us a pretty price for your death. It's nothing personal, really… actually, we're quite fond of you. But, you know," he shrugs nonchalantly and flashes a sly smile, "business is business."_

 _"_ _Oikawa," Hanamaki growls, "get back."_

 _Oikawa is having problems moving. He stares, in shock, at the gathered men and opens his mouth to give the order again (he's still in denial, he can't believe this, he's been betrayed by_ Ushijima, _of all people_ — _), but before he can get a single word out the crew launches a bombardment of flames towards them. Makki struggles to redirect such a large onslaught, stumbling a step backwards as the flames lick past him._

 _Oikawa refuses to watch Makki hurt because of him, so he steps forward and joins his power with his friend's, pushing the flames back a small bit. Hanamaki grunts in wordless protest, but Oikawa silences him with a raised hand. Makki falls quiet_ — _they have never needed words to communicate effectively._

 _The attacking flames die down for a moment, and Oikawa sucks in a deep breath. "Gentlemen," he says in his best impression of his father. "Let's be reasonable about this_ — _"_

 _"_ _Don't," the captain says, eyes narrowing. "You can't convince us to back down. We've already been paid, and Ushijima will have our heads if we don't kill you."_

 _Hanamaki growls and widens his stance._

 _"_ _You'll have to get through me, first."_

 _"_ _Makki_ — _" Oikawa warns, but Hanamaki cuts him off._

 _"_ _Don't be an idiot. I've protected you for years, and I'm not about to stop now."_

 _The crew is impatient, and one charges Makki while his attention is turned away, driving a knife towards Makki's ribs. Hanamaki sidesteps to avoid it and kicks him over the side of the boat with a stream of fire from his foot. The move, while well-executed, leaves Oikawa without defense for a split second, and the crew sees the opening and takes advantage of it. Oikawa's eyes widen as he and Makki are separated, and suddenly there are weapon wielding_ traitors _on all sides of him._

 _"_ _Get him!" someone shouts, and Oikawa yelps, twisting to the side as a sword narrowly misses his nose._

 _"_ _Oikawa!" Makki yells, but he's being herded in the opposite direction. Oikawa grits his teeth in frustration and twists his body to avoid a knife and a stream of flames._

 _"_ _I don't want to fight you," Oikawa warns. "Stop this now, and I'll make sure your crimes are pardoned_ — _"_

 _No one answers him, and Oikawa rolls to avoid a flaming kick that would have connected with his head. To the side Hanamaki is already going all-out, his war cries mixed with the sounds of roaring flames and shouts as his opponents are beaten down._

 _Oikawa knows neither of them can keep this up for long. He is dodging desperately now, dancing frantically in the middle of a circle of sharp points. Even as he moves, one man gets lucky, and his knife grazes Oikawa's leg. Oikawa hisses in pain._

 _It's time to get serious. Well, he did warn them._

 _He raises his hands and calls on the lightning. Electricity races across his fingertips, sending tingles through his entire body. The air around him is suddenly filled with the scent of ozone._

 _The crew backs off slightly. They know what he's capable of_ — _after all, they've watched him train here for weeks. Oikawa stares them down, blue light crackling between his hands. For a split second he considers showing them mercy, but then he hears Hanamaki cry out in pain, and his gaze hardens._

 _His ex-crew are enemies of the crown, and deserve no mercy._

 _He fires the lightning bolt, and a column of men fall. Oikawa tries not to remember their names, and immediately summons another blast._

 _For a while, they manage to hold out. They're doing surprisingly well against such overwhelming numbers. Oikawa is surprised that they've held their ground for so long. Maybe, if they can keep this up_ —

 _The second he begins to think along those lines, everything goes wrong._

 _The crew's efforts are redoubled, and suddenly Oikawa finds himself desperately defending himself from multiple blasts of fire on several sides. With a flurry of moves he twists in the air and launches his own attack with an expert kick, but his precise movements can't compete with the sheer amount of flames rushing towards him._

 _He gets burned. Once. Twice._

 _He's tired, too. The cold air, combined with the constant dodging and combat, saps his energy far too quickly._

 _Suddenly, the crew holds back. Oikawa grins at them despite his exhaustion._

 _"_ _Getting tired? I could do this all day."_

 _"_ _I wouldn't be getting too cocky, Prince," a voice says, and suddenly Oikawa is slammed into from behind, and he's thrown across the deck, landing up against the metal railing of the ship. He cries out in pain, and Hanamaki whips around at the sound. He can't do anything, can't help, because he is surrounded by his own attackers._

 _Oikawa is on his own._

 _The captain stalks towards the fallen prince as Oikawa drags himself to his feet._

 _"_ _You die here, Oikawa Tooru," the captain says, and launches himself at Oikawa. Oikawa dodges his first fireball and leaps into the air, kicking out a wave of flame and following it up with a thin, whip-like stream, lashing out at the captain. The captain ducks under his first attack and sidesteps the second, and throws his arms out in a sweeping arc. A torrent of fire rushes from his hands, and Oikawa is battered against the edge of the ship as he deflects it._

 _"_ _You can't keep this up forever!" the captain shouts, and Oikawa glowers at him and bends a column of flame into existence. The column begins to twist and shake until Oikawa has a flaming tornado at his command. He directs it, without hesitation, at the captain, and the resulting explosion temporarily blinds him for a split second._

 _As he struggles to adjust to the lighting again, a hand wraps around his throat, and he is slammed into the ground onto his back. He cries out in pain as he is pinned there by a heavy body, and a knife is pressed firmly against his neck._

 _That had been stupid; to use a move he commonly practiced on this very deck against the crew. They had watched him do it a thousand times, so of course they had known how to avoid it._

 _Now he will pay for the mistake with his life._

 _The captain hovers over him, keeping his hands tightly pressed to the deck above his head with one hand and holding the knife at his throat with the other. Oikawa swallows and feels the edge of the blade prick his skin._

 _"_ _And so ends the Prince of the Fire Nation, Oikawa Tooru," the captain mutters, and Oikawa closes his eyes._

 _"_ _TOORU!"_

 _There is a scream and then a roar, and suddenly the hefty weight of the captain is lifted off of him. Oikawa sucks in a hasty breath and rolls, scrambling to his feet and ignoring the tiny droplets of blood that trickle down his neck from the nick. Hanamaki is standing in front of him once again, and his mouth is open in a roar, massive streams of fire coming out of both fists and slamming into the captain. His back is hunched and one of his arms is bloody, but other than that he seems fine, and Oikawa breathes a sigh of relief, wearily preparing himself to join the fight again._

 _Hanamaki, as if sensing this, turns his head without letting up his attack._

 _"_ _Get out of here, idiot! Run!"_

 _"_ _A Prince doesn't run!" Oikawa hisses back, but Hanamaki finally turns towards him and grabs him as he moves, heading straight for the edge of the ship._

 _"_ _M-Makki!" Oikawa gasps out as he is dragged along, and Hanamaki speaks as he runs, sparing a quick glance at their ex-crew._

 _"_ _Oikawa, they're after the throne-well, Ushijima is after the throne. Your father is most likely dead, and if we don't move_ now, _you will be too." He shoves Oikawa closer towards the edge of the ship and spins just in time to deflect a fireball._

 _"_ _Where are we going to go?" Oikawa shouts at him, gesturing wildly at the surrounding ice. "It's frozen wasteland in every direction!"_

 _The crew is far too close now, and there are too many for them to fight against. The captain pushes his way to the front of the angry crowd._

 _"_ _Give up, Prince. Come to your death with some sort of dignity."_

 _Hanamaki snarls and Oikawa bristles in anger, punching out to launch a fireball at the man, but to his disdain the attack is dodged with ease._

 _"_ _I'm not about to roll over and die just because Ushiwaka says so," Oikawa hisses, and suddenly Hanamaki stiffens in front of him. As they watch in muted horror, a completely fresh group of their crew storms onto the deck, raising their hands in preparation to attack._

 _"_ _Oikawa." Makki's voice is low. "Run."_

 _"_ _Makki, I won't_ — _"_

 _"_ _Tooru, get out of here!"_

 _Oikawa isn't stupid. He knows what Makki is trying to do. "I won't leave you!" he protests, grabbing his friend's shoulder._

 _Hanamaki swears colorfully and knocks Oikawa's hand away. He twists his head to lock his own gaze with Oikawa's, and the prince blinks at the furious expression on his face. Makki stares at him for a few harsh seconds before his face softens, and he smiles at Oikawa briefly, small and apologetic._

 _"_ _Don't hate me for this."_

 _And then suddenly he puts both hands on Oikawa's chest and shoves, and Oikawa tumbles over the guardrail and into open air._

 _He falls for what seems like an eternity. Oikawa flails in midair like a baby bird, struggling to right himself before he hits the unforgiving ice below. He succeeds, but he isn't able to get himself into a good position to roll and soften the impact. He hits the frozen surface wrong, and his leg twists, pain spiking up to focus in his knee. A shout rips its way from his mouth. For a while he can't even move, eyes wide and mouth open in a wordless cry of agony and shock._

 _It hurts._

 _The ship continues to move, and when Oikawa opens his eyes it is to see that it is already in the distance_ — _how long had he been incapacitated?_

 _Although it is far away, he can still dimly make out flashes of bright flames erupting on the top of the boat. Makki is still fighting strong, and Oikawa knows that his friend will continue to fight until he can no longer move. He would never allow himself to be captured by enemies of the crown._

 _In other words, he will die protecting his Prince._

 _Oikawa feels sick and dizzy, both from the pain and from fear. He can't quite make out identities at this distance, but he knows what it means when the raging flames suddenly go out._

 _"_ _No," he whispers hoarsely, watching as the distant ship continues on its path. "No, no… Makki!"_

 _He tries to stand, because he has to help Hanamaki, but a sharp bolt of agony runs through the nerves in his leg, and once again he crumples, falling uncoordinatedly into the snow._

 _Gasping, he lifts his head, and can only watch as the ship, his traitor crew, and his best friend are carried away on the current._

 _He is cold, and he is alone._

* * *

"Makki," Oikawa gasps, eyes flying open, and immediately screams in pain. His fists clench involuntarily, and his throat aches from the cry.

"Oi, be quiet," someone grumbles, and Oikawa gasps when something prods his leg again. "You aren't dying."

Oikawa blinks deliriously, only half-registering the spoken words, and bites down on his lip to stop the whimper from escaping his lips when fingers ghost over his knee.

Princes don't whimper. It's not dignified.

"You—I—where am I?" Oikawa finally gasps out, squinting around at his surroundings. He's in… a… an igloo?

"Northern Water Tribe," the voice grunts, and Oikawa shifts his gaze to look around the room. There are furs everywhere, and Oikawa is lying down on the bed in the center of the room. "This is the healing hut. I found you out on the ice."

For the first time, Oikawa's eyes rest on the speaker, and he isn't surprised to see that it is indeed the same person as before—the one with spiky hair and green eyes.

"Um… thanks for that," Oikawa says awkwardly, and then clenches his teeth and tosses his head back when the stranger grabs his leg to hold it still.

"Don't move," the stranger says, and Oikawa watches as he skillfully lifts his hand and bends a globe of water into the air. His movements are smooth, but there is underlying power to them, and his muscles flex as he sends the water to hover over Oikawa's knee.

Here the stranger pauses, and closes his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. Oikawa is about to ask what he's doing when suddenly the water starts to glow, and then the stranger puts the water on his knee.

Instantly the pain is dulled, and Oikawa gasps in relief, jaw falling open in amazement. The pain isn't completely gone, but as he watches, the stranger's eyes furrow in concentration, and the water glows with more intensity than before. Oikawa winces and clenches his teeth as bones scrape together and something pops in his knee, but immediately after a soothing coolness encompasses the area. He exhales in grateful relief as the waterbender lifts the water away and lowers it back into the bowl on the small table.

"Oh," Oikawa says, cautiously bending the joint. His eyes widen when it barely even twinges. "That… thank you," he says sincerely, lifting his gaze to the stranger again.

"No problem," the waterbender says gruffly. He narrows his eyes as Oikawa tries to sit up and hisses as the burns on his arms make themselves known.

"Don't move yet," he says, and bends more water to Oikawa's skin again.

For a few awkward moments, all is silent except the faint hum of the glowing water over Oikawa's arms. It is extremely soothing, and Oikawa sighs at the calming feeling.

"Um… what's your name?" he asks hesitantly.

The waterbender doesn't look up from his healing, but his expression softens slightly.

"Iwaizumi Hajime," he answers. He moves after that, lifting the water back into the container in a fluid motion of one arm. Oikawa raises his arms to inspect them—they don't even sting, and the skin looks untarnished.

"Amazing," he whispers. He had heard of the famous waterbending healing before, but this was the first time he had ever seen how effective it was.

Eyes wide, he looks towards Iwaizumi and swings his legs over the side of the bed.

Iwaizumi is wiping his face. He looks exhausted, and sweat drips down the side of his face. Oikawa hadn't considered it, but healing must be extremely taxing, especially healing of such a large scale.

"You're lucky full moon is coming up," Iwaizumi says. "Otherwise I'm not sure if I would have been able to fix that."

"Thank you," Oikawa said again. "I would have died without your…"

He trails off, because he suddenly remembers something that he should not have forgotten.

"Makki," he breathes, and stands abruptly. He has to go back to the ship and find out what happened to him.

Before he can take a step, however, he is suddenly shoved backwards, and a blade of ice digs into his throat. Iwaizumi looks angry, and suspicious, but Oikawa doesn't care.

"Oh, come on," he hisses, glaring back at Iwaizumi's glower. "This is the second time I've been attacked today, and I need to see if my friend is _alive,_ thank you. Get out of the way." His flames would be weak right now because of the cold, but they're still usable, and as grateful as Oikawa is for Iwaizumi's help he isn't afraid to use his bending if necessary.

Hanamaki's life is at stake.

(Assuming he isn't already dead.)

"You aren't going anywhere until I get some answers," Iwaizumi snarls. "You appeared outside our tribe in the middle of a snowstorm, wearing nothing but a flimsy Fire Nation robe and looking like something the cat dragged in." He ignores Oikawa's yelp of protest and grabs his shirt in a rough grip. "What about that isn't suspicious?"

Oikawa takes a deep breath. He needs to stay calm. What would his father do in this situation?

He exhales and slowly raises his hands into the air.

"My name is Oikawa Tooru," he says to Iwaizumi. When the waterbender's face shows no sign of recognition, Oikawa continues. "I am the Prince of the Fire Nation, and I was on my way here on a diplomatic, routine mission to meet with your leaders."

"Well, that obviously went well," Iwaizumi mutters sarcastically. "Why were you out in the middle of a snowstorm, idiot?"

Oikawa scoffs, because despite Iwaizumi now knowing he is royalty, his tone has not changed at all. It's disrespectful.

"It wasn't by choice!" he snaps. "I was betrayed by a cousin at home—he hired my crew to kill me, and the only reason I'm not dead is because—" he swallows painfully, "is because a friend sacrificed himself for me."

Iwaizumi stares at him for a moment, and then steps away, his ice blade melting in an instant and dripping down to the floor.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" he asks, but before Oikawa can answer him, the flap of cloth covering the entrance of the igloo is shoved aside, and a figure dashes through, panting for breath.

"Iwaizumi!" the person yells, and then coughs twice, struggling to breathe. Iwaizumi's eyes widen, and he turns away from Oikawa to grab the person's shoulders gently.

"Kunimi, breath," Iwaizumi orders. After a few moments, he nods his head. "Now, tell me what's going on."

Kunimi straightens, and there is poorly contained fear in his eyes.

"There are ships coming towards us, cutting through the ice in the distance!" he says. "They'll be here in an hour—Suga thinks they're Fire Nation, he sent me to get you. He and the others are already up on the wall—"

Iwaizumi swears and rounds on Oikawa angrily, fire in his eyes. Oikawa flinches back at his rage.

"They're probably looking for _you,"_ he growls. He moves to leave, and Oikawa blinks at his retreating back.

"Wait!" he calls after him. "You really think that the Fire Nation could send up ships this far north within a day of the betrayal?"

Iwaizumi pauses.

"A day?" he says tonelessly. "You were asleep for three, and I spent all of them working on that leg that you messed up."

Oikawa gasps and stares at him in shock. "Why wasn't that the first thing you told me?"

Iwaizumi shrugs.

"You didn't ask. And I'd say whoever wants you dead didn't wait to send those ships after you. It was probably planned since the beginning." His words are grim and his fists clench as he speaks, and then he turns and leaves, following Kunimi.

Oikawa blinks, not completely understanding his words for a moment before it hits him.

Iwaizumi is suggesting that Ushijima had been planning to send ships out, even before he knew Oikawa had survived his attempted assassination.

Ushijima had planned on launching an attack on the Northern Water tribe since the beginning. He was going to start a war.

The shock of that realization makes Oikawa's breath begin to come out in short, panicked bursts, because this means that his father is dead, for sure. And his mother, and sister, and nephew—

He feels like he's going to be sick.

His hands are trembling, and he clenches them around the sides of the bed as he sinks down to sit on it again.

 _Please, please just let this all be a bad dream._

He pinches himself, once, to see if he can make it stop, but nothing happens.

Oikawa tilts his head back and squeezes his eyes shut, ignoring the twin tears that run down his cheeks.

He is, currently, the sole heir of the Fire Nation.

He can't afford to grieve for long, even though it _hurts_ and he is _terrified._ Ushijima has killed his family and started a war, and as the Crown Prince, Oikawa can't just allow that to happen.

His father is dead, so it is his own responsibility to stop Ushijima and save his people.

It is a _huge, incomprehensible_ burden for him to suddenly take on, but if he does not, who will? This is what he was raised in preparation for, after all.

He takes a deep breath to steady himself and wipes his face with the back of his hand. He doesn't have any more time to cry. The Fire Nation is coming, and Oikawa can't sit in a healing hut while the people that saved his life fight for their tribe.

Oikawa steels himself and gets to his feet, crossing the room and shoving his grief to the back of his mind. He has more important things to worry about.

There is a parka resting on a little wooden table next to the covered opening of the igloo. Oikawa pauses for a moment before putting it on, and then pushes his way outside.

The sky is clear, but the sun is weak, as it always is in the North Pole. Oikawa sighs as the light hits his skin anyway, rejuvenating him and filling his limbs with more energy. The Northern Water Tribe is fairly small. There are well-crafted igloos (probably bended) scattered around the area, with small fire pits placed between them. Oikawa takes a moment to focus on one, taking comfort in the tiny pulses of life he can sense from the crackling flames.

"Excuse me."

Oikawa yelps and whips around, raising one arm defensively at the sudden voice.

"You are Oikawa Tooru, correct?" the beautiful woman says, and Oikawa's eyes widen as he takes in the Water Tribe garb and long black hair.

"Um," he says intelligently, but she is already turning away, gesturing for him to follow.

She leads him through the camp, and Oikawa is surprised to see only a few people milling about the igloos, and they are all either warriors or benders—he doesn't see any children.

As if reading his mind, the woman glances back at him, not stopping her long stride.

"We have evacuated those who cannot fight to the ice plains north of here. They will be safe for now."

Oikawa nods and swallows nervously. It's a smart move by the Tribe, but isn't a permanent solution. He has come to the conclusion that the Water Tribe knows they do not stand a chance, but they prepare to fight anyway, to defend their homes and families.

They approach the edge of the tribe. The entire perimeter is surrounded by a large and fairly impressive ice wall, but there is no path to get to the top. He is about to say something when she lifts her hands and makes a graceful upward motion, and suddenly they are shooting upwards on a pillar of ice. Oikawa does his best to maintain his balance, but when they get to the top he stumbles and nearly faceplants into the snow as he steps off onto the wall, barely catching himself in time.

When he rights himself, two pairs of eyes land on him—one weary but good-natured, and the other glaring in annoyance. Iwaizumi scoffs and turns away after a moment, but the other Tribe member, a silver-haired man with a soft smile, offers Oikawa a little bow devoid of sarcasm or teasing.

"Prince Tooru," he says, and Oikawa blinks in surprise.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course—I'm the Northern Water Tribe's diplomatic representative, and the son of the Chieftain," the man answers brightly. "My name is—"

"Oh," Oikawa interrupts. "You're Sugawara, right?" That was the name of the man he had been supposed to meet with during this mission, but obviously things hadn't turned out like that.

Sugawara chuckles. "I am," he says. "But you're welcome to call me Suga."

Oikawa nods at him and returns the smile. Suga's personality is bright and refreshing, and it is a nice change from the grumpiness that Iwaizumi showed him.

"Thank you, Kiyoko," Suga says to the beautiful girl who had guided Oikawa earlier. "I appreciate it." She nods, but her jaw is clenched, and she is moving before anyone can say anything else, brushing past Oikawa coldly and striding away across the wall towards a group of other warriors.

Suga sighs, and his head droops slightly. Oikawa can see the signs of a good leader under stress in his body language, and a pang of guilt hits him. This is all his fault.

"Sorry," Suga mutters. "We're all a bit on edge, I suppose."

They look out across the ocean in front of them, and there are blurs approaching from a long ways off-the Fire Nation ships.

"I… sorry," Oikawa says quietly. He isn't quite sure how to respond to that, and Suga blinks at him before moving closer, getting into his personal space.

"Hey, hey," he protests. "Listen to me. This isn't your fault. You're just as much of a victim as we are."

Oikawa shakes his head.

"I could have—could have done something. I should have—"

"What would you have done? The only way to maybe avoid this would have been for you to lose your life, and it seems like your cousin was planning to attack us even before he found out you survived anyway, so that wouldn't have done anything anyway."

Oikawa is surprised that he knows that much, and Suga picks up on his confusion, grinning at him softly.

"You talk a lot in your sleep."

"Great," Oikawa groans. "What else do you know?"

Suga closes his eyes for a moment.

"If you don't mind me asking… who is Makki?"

Oikawa flinches at the name, turning his head to the side so the waterbenders won't see the expression of pain and fear that flashes across his face.

He can't allow them to see how scared he really is.

"Makki—" his voice nearly breaks, but he swallows and continues, "Makki was a close friend. My advisor. He… he saved me from my potential assassins at the cost of his own—" He stops here because he doesn't want to say it, and luckily Suga doesn't make him.

"I see," he says. Then he steps forward and claps his hand across Oikawa's shoulder, a silent pillar of support, and Oikawa relaxes at the feeling. "I am sorry for your loss—for _all_ of your losses. I can't imagine—"

"Suga," Iwaizumi interrupts, and Suga immediately turns his gaze towards the Fire Nation ships. Iwaizumi points upward. "Look."

Oikawa lifts his head slowly, and shudders when he sees it.

Black snow. Soot.

The Fire Nation has brought an army.

"Go sound the alarm," Suga says grimly. He raises his voice so that his shout can be heard all across the wall. "They're coming! Everyone get ready!"

The waterbenders move as one and slide into bending stances with a grace that Oikawa could never hope to match. In an impressive show of balance and power, they move as one, gesturing towards the sea and snow on the outside of the walls, and pull it up against the barriers, where it hardens into ice. The wall thickens, strong with nearly impenetrable frozen water.

"Right," Suga says, turning towards him as Iwaizumi and the rest of the benders continue to strengthen their fortifications. "I didn't tell you why I called you up here in the first place." He is still dead serious, and Oikawa realizes that Suga's entire way of life is at stake here. "Listen to me. My Tribe and I will support you and help you to get the throne back. Your father was a good man, I spoke with him on several occasions. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to stop Ushijima from starting this war he's so intent on beginning."

Oikawa feels his heart swell up in gratefulness to the silver-haired bender. This is all happening so _fast_ —it has literally only been about an hour since he woke up in the healing tent with Iwaizumi hovering over him. He feels completely overwhelmed by this entire situation—but Suga is willing to support him, and even though he just barely met the man, he feels like he could cry in relief.

"So," Suga continues, "I need your help right now. I need you to tell me anything you can about how the Fire Nation might attack us."

Oikawa balks at that for a second on instinct before he remembers that the Tribe will be slaughtered if he doesn't tell them. And at this point, his loyalty to his nation is… slightly complicated. He has nothing to lose. He takes a deep breath.

"I'll tell you everything I know," Oikawa says, and Suga dips his head in thanks, turning back towards the approaching ships in the distance.

"We will fight to defend our home," Suga says, and Iwaizumi makes a little sound of agreement behind him. "We won't let Ushijima just take what he wants."

Oikawa nods with their words, and feels a wild wave of courage and strength rise up within him.

He won't let Ushijima win without a fight.

* * *

The guard comes down the hallway, and Kuroo watches as they pass by his hiding spot with the clank of heavy, Fire Nation boots.

This is dangerous, he knows. But he doesn't have another choice-he needs to do this _now,_ before Ushijima suspects him of something. Already he is unsure of Kuroo's loyalty, and if Kuroo gives him even _one_ reason to suspect him, he knows he will not wake up in his bed the next morning.

He pokes his head out of cover and sees that the coast is clear. It is a simple matter from there to slip into the hallway and make his way silently to the messenger hawk mailroom.

He had changed out of his heavy royal guard armor before he came here, so his footsteps are light and quiet when he moves. He would be questioned too much if he were found in his own Royal Guard armor here, anyway. These are the foot soldier barracks, but Ushijima's spies goes through all of the mail sent out through the palace, so Kuroo can't send his letters from there.

He reaches the door and holds his breath as he opens it, exhaling in relief when no one is there. Most of the hawks are asleep, but a few shuffle as he slips in—luckily none are annoyed enough by his presence to screech at him, and he is thankful for that.

The letter is small—a single piece of parchment, tightly rolled and tied with a little section of twine. Kuroo stares at it for a moment. It is _so incredibly important,_ and it _must_ get to the right people. Kuroo's position at the Fire Palace is good—it allows him to be close to Ushijima at all times as one of his guards—but a single slip up will mean his execution, and he can't afford to be caught personally leaving the area when he's suppose to be guarding the "Fire Lord's" bedchamber.

A messenger hawk is the best he can do.

He selects a bird at random. They all look the same to him, he isn't very good with them, either. They tend to snap at his fingers if he gets too close—

Footsteps.

Heavy and clunky, signifying armor, and fairly close—coming around the corner and moving towards the room.

Kuroo has no time to hide, and panic suddenly seizes at his chest.

He _cannot_ be caught. He's put too much time, dedication, and pain (the death of the Oikawa family haunts him each night) to be stopped now.

So, the second the guard pushes open the door, Kuroo launches himself at his opponent. He doesn't want to use his bending, simply because fire isn't a very subtle element, and uses the guard's surprised hesitation to grab at the man's neck under his helmet—if he can get it at just the right angle, maybe he can—

"Kuroo!" the guard hisses frantically, reeling backwards, and Kuroo freezes, hands loosely wrapped around the man's trachea. The voice is familiar, and Kuroo groans quietly, releasing his prisoner. He swears softly.

"Bokuto, I nearly killed you—"

"But you didn't!" Bokuto whispers defensively, rubbing at his neck, and Kuroo sighs, moving back to his messenger hawk.

"What are you doing here?" he asks. Bokuto takes off the clumsy guard helmet in a smooth motion, tucking it under one arm, and in the moonlight his golden eyes gleam with a seriousness that Kuroo normally only sees on Bokuto when he's in the middle of an intense fight.

"I came to back up my best friend, of course. Idiot. Why else would I be here?"

Kuroo frowns at him.

"Listen, we can't both be caught—we can't be seen together."

"Honestly," Bokuto huffs. "We won't—neither of us will get caught. These are my barracks, I'll say you're with me."

Kuroo tries to get his messenger hawk to stick it's leg out, but it narrows its eyes at him and ruffles its feathers petulantly. He doesn't reply to Bokuto, and a moment later he feels his friend grab his arm carefully.

"Hey, hey, hey," Bokuto says, although it lacks the usual volume and enthusiasm, and he moves so that his gaze is even with Kuroo's. "You've been off since the coup, bro. It's tough for all of us, and you can't keep doing this to yourself. It wasn't your fault, you know—"

Kuroo's vision suddenly tunnels, and pictures flash before his eyes.

 _The Fire Lord and Lady are surrounded by flames. Kuroo and the rest of the Royal Guard fight to keep their assailants at bay, but there are just so many_ —

 _Ushijima steps into the room, and as his gaze sweeps over the area_ — _his eyes focus on Kuroo for only a split second before moving to their Nation's leaders_ —

 _A knife digs deep into his side, and Kuroo shouts from the pain before kicking his attacker away. Ushijima is coming, he's getting closer to the Fire Lady, Kuroo needs to go, go go move move MOVE NOW_ — _!_

 _The Fire Lady's blood is crimson red, the same color as her dress._

 _Her husband falls soon after, and Kuroo screams at the men holding him down, thrashing against their iron grips._

 _The Royal Guards are completely helpless, and they watch in horror as Ushijima takes the crown for himself, one member of the royal family falling after another._

 _Ushijima stands over the surviving members of the Royal Guard, face impassive, ignorant of the tremendous red stain running down the front of his robe. "You will serve me," he says. "I will break you if I must."_

 _Some fight him at first, but Ushijima is brutal, and deep, lashing burns cover each of their bodies. Only a few days have passed when the first man caves, swearing himself into Ushijima's service with a heaving sob._

 _They each break, one after another._

 _Kuroo is last. He grits his teeth, but he cannot move, and Ushijima is relentless and powerful. His mind is numb with pain, and every inch of his skin burns._

 _"_ _You are not like the rest of them," Ushijima whispers into his ear at one point, when Kuroo has nearly passed out in agony. "Strong, and more loyal than most. I want you."_

 _He holds out for as long as he can, but he can't last forever._

 _He breaks._

 _It's all his fault._

"...roo, Kuroo, come on, come back to me, it's fine, everything's fine, Kuroo—"

He is curled up into a ball on the floor with his eyes squeezed firmly shut. He does not want to open them. He's shaking, too. Uncontrollably. He can't control his breathing.

"Kuroooooooo. Listen to me, you're not there, it's not real. It's just a flashback, open your eyes, come on…"

Slowly Kuroo becomes aware of a hand pressed on his back, and a second one running through his hair. Bokuto.

He slowly opens his eyes and blinks at how close Bokuto is. The soldier is peering at him anxiously, although he tries to hide it with a quick smile when he sees that Kuroo is looking at him.

"Hey," he greets softly. "You alright?"

Kuroo shudders, struggling to clear the gruesome pictures in his mind away, and focuses on Bokuto's face instead.

"Bo… Bokuto," he says shakily. "I—the Fire Lord, we _failed them, we couldn't_ — _"_

"You did _no such thing,"_ Bokuto snarls, and Kuroo flinches away from his rage, because it is a rare and dangerous thing when Bokuto uses that tone of voice. "You all did your best—you were overwhelmed, and Ushijima is far more powerful than any other firebender we've encountered before."

Kuroo exhales.

"But I swore my oath to him, even after what he did, I _couldn't_ —"

"You swore under _torture_ and the threatening of others," Bokuto growls, and his grip on Kuroo's back tightens for a moment before it loosens again. "And if I hear you try to blame this on yourself _one more time,_ I swear, Kuroo…"

"You weren't there," Kuroo bites out, swallowing a sob and clenching his fists. "You weren't there, you didn't see, Bo, it was horrible, we couldn't—everything was—"

Bokuto is patient with him, and shushes him quietly, stroking his hair. Kuroo remembers a time when Bokuto never would have been mature enough to handle this sort of situation—but people change with the times, and Bokuto has recently exhibited an amount of restraint mixed in with his usual antics. Kuroo has never been more grateful for it, despite his own love for their normal shenanigans.

He hates this. Kuroo hates this fear inside him, so much. He is terrified of Ushijima, and it is _not right._ Kuroo is ( _was_ ) a proud member of the Royal Guard of the Fire Nation, tasked with protecting their Lord and Lady… and he had failed, and been forced to betray his country, because of one man.

Ushijima's loyal spies are everywhere. Kuroo is lucky he has Bokuto for support, because he knows that without his friend, he would have collapsed under the pressure and terror days ago.

Bokuto's presence is incredibly smoothing. The world is slipping back into clarity, and Kuroo's flashback is fading. Slowly he comes back to himself, and he is on the floor in the middle of the Messenger Hawk mail center with a letter clenched in his fist and Bokuto's comforting warmth around him.

This is dangerous. Someone could walk in and see them, and suspect something, but Kuroo can't find the will to care at the moment.

He is tired.

"We can't do this alone," he says, and Bokuto nods.

"You're right," he agrees. "Which is why we're taking this risk, yeah?" He gestures towards the letter. "We're the only ones with access to the palace, there are people counting on us to get them this information."

Bokuto reaches towards a messenger hawk, and it leans into his touch as he strokes it's feathers. Kuroo huffs indignantly—Bokuto has always been good with birds, and he's just a _little_ bit jealous.

The bird shuffles as Bokuto takes the letter from Kuroo and places it in the tube attached to the bird's back.

"The Western Air Temple," Bokuto says clearly once the bird is comfortable with it's burden. It cocks its head and looks at him, and Kuroo sighs as it raises it's powerful wings and takes off, disappearing out the window above them and vanishing into the night.

"I still don't believe that they're smart enough to know where they're going," Kuroo mumbles, and Bokuto grins at him, a tiny bit of relief shining through in his expression that Kuroo is back to normal.

"They aren't ordinary birds, bro."

"Yes they are," Kuroo says, and Bokuto glares at him.

"Hush, nonbeliever. These are the most incredible birds you will ever see."

Kuroo is silent for a second before he reaches out and grips Bokuto's forearm.

"Bokuto-"

"Kuroo. You don't have to apologize."

Kuroo opens his mouth, but Bokuto shakes his head.

"It's fine. It's not your fault, either. Ushijima—"

Footsteps sound just outside, and they both freeze.

They've been here for too long, but now that Ushijima's had control for over three weeks, they rarely see each other anymore—and Kuroo had his own issues to worry about, being as close to the tyrant as he is every day.

The footsteps pass by them, but neither of them relax.

"We need to—" Kuroo starts to say, but before he can finish Bokuto grabs him and tugs him into a very manly hug.

"Yeah, I know. Stay safe, okay? Don't get caught. I need you. Otherwise I don't think that—" He cuts himself off and his gaze darts to the floor. For the first time, Kuroo can see that Bokuto is just as scared as he is—he just hides it better—and he grips Bokuto tightly before he lets him go.

They don't say anything else, and Bokuto slips out before Kuroo does, putting his helmet back on and clunking away casually. Kuroo glances back at the window the hawk had flown out of once before he turns away and slips out of the room.

A single feather drifts from the open window and lands silently on the floor as the door to the Messenger Hawk room is pulled quietly closed.

* * *

Akaashi had gotten use to Hinata's noise, so when the tiny Avatar suddenly falls silent, he frowns and turns around towards his fellow airbender.

"Hinata, what—" he starts to say, but he freezes in shock when he sees that Hinata's eyes are glowing. Kenma is sitting next to him on the bench, wide-eyed, and one hand reaches up to touch his friend.

"Don't—!" Akaashi says, panicked, and Kenma freezes. Akaashi takes a deep breath to calm himself. He doesn't know very much about the Avatar State, but he knows enough to recognize it, and knows better than to touch Hinata when he's in it.

"Kenma. Fetch Takeda, please. Hurry."

Kenma nods mutely and darts away, using a quick burst of air to speed out of the room.

Akaashi watches Hinata's hair whip around in the breeze that is emanating from his body. Hinata's accessed his Avatar State before, but he's never stayed in a trance for this long. His eyes are still glowing.

The winds are picking up, and Akaashi lifts his hand and bends his bow staff into his palm, spinning it around to create a shield from Hinata's furious torrents of air.

"Akaashi!" someone yells over the howling noise, and suddenly Takeda is there, Kenma close on his heels. Takeda yells something else, too, lifting his arm to shield his face, but Akaashi can't hear him. For a brief moment, he panics—the true extent of Hinata's power has never fully been tested, what if this uncontrollable surge spells the destruction of the temple?

And then, as sudden as it had started, it ends, and Hinata groans and crumples to the floor. The wind dies down almost instantly, and Akaashi blinks as Takeda and Kenma race to the young Avatar's side.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Takeda asks frantically, shaking the boy. "What happened?"

Hinata groans again and rolls over, and his eyes are wide, orange hair standing up almost more than usual. Akaashi clenches his bow staff in his hand at his fearful expression.

"A… a warning," Hinata gasps out. He's trembling, and his voice is quiet. It's so unlike his usual excitable demeanor that Akaashi's eyes widen in surprise. "The past Avatars wanted to warn us. They say…" he trails off, and they all lean in closer as he shudders.

"Fire...there was so much fire—"

"The Fire Nation?" Takeda says. "But we're allied with them. Fire Lord Oikawa—"

"The Fire Nation _has_ been suspiciously quiet for the past few weeks," Akaashi cuts in. Takeda shifts nervously.

"Well, yes, but—"

"My informants in the Fire Nation haven't sent me any news," Kenma says quietly. "And that's rare for them. It's possible that something has happened."

They are silent for a moment, until Hinata speaks up again.

"War is coming," Hinata says seriously. "Something is very, very wrong in the world, and we need to be ready for it."

The very concept of war is terrifying. They are pacifists, their element is not meant for battle.

But even before Hinata can explain more of his vision, Akaashi makes the decision that he will fight.

He will not see his home destroyed a second time.

* * *

 **So, this is what I have been working on frantically for the past... I don't even know how long. But I really like it, and I hope you do too.**

 **Sorry if you aren't a fan of this particular point of view. As a writer, I need experience with all different types of POV, so I'm sorry if it annoys you.**

 **Normally, I'd think of Iwaizumi as an earthbender, to be honest. But there was this fanart (I have no clue who created it and I can't find it again now anyway which is sad) of firebender Oikawa and waterbender Iwaizumi, and I fell in love with it, so yeah... this happened.**

 **I'm very seriously looking for someone to beta read this stuff who will be willing to tear me apart. Anyone interested?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this! Hit me up with a comment or a PM if you did, or if you want to beta read! This will also eventually be posted on ao3 as well, so watch out for it!**

 **Thank you! See you at my next update! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Bokuto does not ever remember being this scared before.

He is kneeling before Ushijima—not because he wants to, of course, but because Ushijima is Fire Lord now. He doesn't have a choice. He is perfectly aware of what happened to Kuroo and the rest of the royal guards at the beginning of Ushijima's reign.

Ushijima also knows how close the both of them were to the Oikawa family—specifically, Tooru. Bokuto is fully aware of the Fire Lord's eyes on him—carefully analyzing his every move. He is being tested, and if he is not careful, he will fail, and suffer a fate just like Kuroo did.

Kuroo is present, standing at attention next to Ushijima's throne with another of the royal guards, but he is shifting uneasily—scared, just like Bokuto is.

He misses Fire Lord Oikawa desperately. Ushijima is a tyrant, and he has supporters _everywhere._ He knows exactly who doesn't agree with him—and he also knows exactly how to pin those people down so that they can't do anything about it.

Kuroo is just one of many in that situation, and Bokuto _knows_ that he's next.

Ushijima stares down at him, face devoid of emotion. Bokuto keeps his head bowed, hands resting formally on the ground. Ushijima is more than a match for both him and Kuroo, even if they worked together, and he knows better than to try anything stupid.

After a small eternity, Ushijima hums, the sound echoing through the chamber.

"You may stand, soldier."

Bokuto obeys and immediately snaps to attention, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees Ushijima smile—a sharp and dangerous little thing that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Captain Bokuto Koutarou, welcome," Ushijima says smoothly. "I have heard a lot about you recently. I was told of your excellent firebending skills from my advisors, and I have a task for you that I would like you to complete." His tone suggests that Bokuto doesn't have a choice in the matter.

"Thank you for considering me, Fire Lord Ushijima. I will follow your orders to the best of my ability," Bokuto says stiffly, carefully. Apparently it's not the right thing to say, because Kuroo suddenly stiffens, but Ushijima doesn't move save the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in a tiny motion.

"Indeed, I believe you will," Ushijima says, humor edging his voice, and Bokuto resists the urge to scowl at him bitterly. Kuroo relaxes slightly, a motion that Ushijima doesn't miss, and the Fire Lord shoots the guard an amused look. His low chuckle sends a shiver down Bokuto's spine.

"You seem a bit… _tense,_ Tetsurou. Is something wrong?"

Kuroo grits his teeth at the usage of his first name and his eyes flash for a second before he lowers his head and lets out a soft, "No, my Lord," but Ushijima sees the brief energy in his expression. He slowly rises from his throne and steps a bit closer to Kuroo, gaze pinning the royal guard in place. Kuroo freezes up, eyes wide as Ushijima approaches him.

The feel of the room has grown far too hostile for Bokuto's liking. He still cannot move, however, without being accused of disrespect for the Fire Lord, so he holds his ground and watches from the corner of his eye as Ushijima slowly runs the back of his hand across Kuroo's cheek, just to show that he can. Kuroo lets out a shaky breath, and his fists clench, but he makes no other move to stop the tyrant.

"I am in control here, remember this," Ushijima says slowly. "I am no fool—I know you two are very close friends. Are you afraid for Koutarou's life, Tetsurou?"

Ice jolts through Bokuto's veins, and a heavy weight settles in his stomach.

So that's what this is about. It's a power play, and he's stuck in the middle. Ushijima's using him to get to Kuroo.

Kuroo doesn't answer Ushijima, but the Fire Lord doesn't seem to require one, turning back towards Bokuto.

"Come here, Captain."

Bokuto's breath catches in his throat, and he almost takes a step back as Ushijima stares him down. Kuroo's eyes are just as wide as his own, and the dread that fills the room is palpable.

Ushijima clicks his tongue.

"Do not make me repeat myself," he says dangerously, and Bokuto finally moves, muscles jerking forward unsteadily until he is directly in front of the Fire Lord.

"Observe, Tetsurou," Ushijima says slowly, "See how _powerless_ you are."

Then he reaches out and grabs Bokuto by the throat.

Bokuto yelps, and Kuroo lets out a strangled "Don't!" as Ushijima's fingers clamp around Bokuto's trachea and lift him into the air. He isn't that much taller than Bokuto, really, but his arms are long, and Bokuto's boots scuff the floor as he dangles in Ushijima's grasp.

"Wait—" Kuroo gasps, stumbling forwards. "Wait, Ushiji—"

"That is not how you will address me," Ushijima snarls, and the fingers around Bokuto's throat tighten—Bokuto chokes, and his hands fly up to attempt to break the Fire Lord's grasp to no avail. His air is now completely cut off, and his mouth opens in a fruitless effort to suck in oxygen.

"No, please _,_ " Kuroo says desperately, dropping to one knee in a formal bow. "My Lord, _please. Let him go."_

"Should I?" Ushijima says calmly as Bokuto begins to see spots dancing in front of his eyes. "Have you given me a reason to?"

Kuroo hunches even further into his bow, dropping to both knees and pressing his forehead against the floor, and Bokuto wants to scream.

"Kuroo, _don't_ —" he starts to force out with the very last dregs of his air, only to be cut off as Ushijima shakes him violently.

"I have already sworn myself to you, My Lord," Kuroo says, and his voice is shaking just a little bit. "What else do you want from me?" Hysteria is creeping into his tone, and Bokuto is pretty certain that his own face is bright purple by now.

It _hurts._ He needs _air._

Ushijima glares at Kuroo, unmoving, and Kuroo's breath starts to come out faster, fearful.

"Lord… I'm _begging_ you, _please._ Don't hurt him!"

Ushijima lets go without warning, and Bokuto crumples to the floor, gasping and coughing painfully. His throat is definitely bruised, and for a moment, all he can focus on is the quick _inhale-exhale_ of his lungs and the sweet taste of air in his throat.

"Bo, are you alright? Bokuto!"

Bokuto coughs once more and rolls over as a hand grabs his shoulder. Kuroo hovers over him, his expression a mixture of pain, guilt, and fear that makes Bokuto feel sick to his stomach.

"I'm—I'm good," he croaks. "Kuroo—"

"Tetsurou. You're dismissed. Leave us."

Kuroo whips around, his eyes widening in horror at Ushijima's command.

"But—"

"Now."

Terror is etched onto Kuroo's face when he turns back around, but Bokuto gathers his remaining energy and sits up, smiling weakly at his friend.

"Get out of here," he whispers urgently, wincing as his throat flares up in pain. "I'll be fine, don't worry!"

Kuroo doesn't look convinced, but he obeys Ushijima anyway, throwing glances back over his shoulder until the heavy doors at the front of the room finally slam shut behind him.

Bokuto is alone with the Fire Lord and a single member of the Royal Guard.

He had been scared before, but this was nearly a hundred times worse.

Ushijima sits back down on the throne and threads his fingers together casually, looking perfectly composed.

"On your feet," he orders, and Bokuto staggers to a standing position, doing his best to ignore the throbbing bruises across his neck.

Ushijima studies him intently for a moment.

"Do you want to know why I did that?" he asks. Bokuto is too wary to give a response, but Ushijima continues anyway. "Tetsurou is smart, and powerful. I would be a fool if I did not utilize his talents to the fullest extent… but it is mostly because he is the most entertaining to antagonize. So strong-willed, so proud… and yet, so easily _breakable._ His defiance has gotten him this far, but I wonder if he can maintain it for much longer."

Bokuto feels a surge of an emotion that he rarely experiences, even in the heat of battle— _hatred._ Ushijima is… _playing_ with them. Experimenting. Seeing how much he can push before Kuroo snaps, and gives the tyrant a reason to execute him.

Bokuto is done pretending. In open defiance, he glares at the Fire Lord, trying valiantly to convey every single one of his hateful thoughts into his expression.

He's not quite brave enough to speak.

"Ah, I see you aren't a fan of such methods," Ushijima says, ignoring Bokuto's silent rage. "Well, in any case, I do still have a job for you. I have heard you are an excellent leader, so I've placed you in charge of a large portion of our offensive army for the upcoming invasion."

Bokuto freezes. _Invasion?_ What invasion?

"I am expanding Fire Nation borders," Ushijima says smugly. "The Oikawa family was not _nearly_ ambitious enough in their international relationships. I will change that, even if it means I must burn half the world to the ground."

Bokuto realizes that Ushijima is deadly serious, and clenches his fists behind his back.

No, no, _no._ This can't be happening.

"I wish you good luck in your endeavors, Captain. You'll find further details in a scroll that was sent to your quarters. You are dismissed."

But it _is_ happening, and there's nothing Bokuto can do about it.

The Fire Nation is going to war.

* * *

"Get down!" Iwaizumi screams. The fireball slams into the top of the wall, and Iwaizumi prays that no one was hit.

The siege of the North Pole had begun with a crash of flaming rocks slamming into the Tribe's ice wall, and it had been nearly an hour since.

The fireballs are still coming, and Iwaizumi is at a loss of what to do.

The Fire Nation Prince's information had been helpful. The Tribe, at least, knows what they are up against. They know that when the Fire Nation breaks down their wall, they will send columns of ground troops, and mounted riders. They know about the catapults and tanks—but Iwaizumi isn't sure if the information will do them any good.

They are hopelessly overwhelmed, but Iwaizumi has never been one to give up without a fight.

"Here comes another round!" someone (he thinks it's Matsukawa) shouts, and Iwaizumi whips around to see that he's right—a fresh wave of fire has been launched and is speeding towards them.

"Stand firm! Stop them from destroying our homes!" Suga yells. He is just behind Iwaizumi, with Kiyoko to his right, and Iwaizumi reaches out and bends a column of water skyward with both hands, intercepting one of the flaming projectiles in mid-air and freezing it before its momentum could push it out the other side.

All around him, other waterbenders do the same—Kunimi's column crumbles on impact, but it does its job, and their homes remain standing.

"Iwaizumi!"

At the shout, Iwaizumi turns, resisting the urge to snarl in frustration as more fireballs appear. These ones are aimed more accurately, and several of them skim the top of the wall before they can be stopped.

A few warriors are knocked off, and Iwaizumi feels his heart clench in sorrow.

" _Iwaizumi_!"

"What?" Iwaizumi roars, lashing his hands upwards, and wild tendrils of water fly into the air in response, knocking three fireballs off course. "I'm a bit busy—!"

Two hands grab him and whirl him around, and suddenly he is facing the Fire Prince. Iwaizumi nearly strikes him for the distraction before he notices the wild, determined look on the Prince's face.

"We can't take much more of this! You're still losing men, and your forces are already at their limits!"

"You think I don't know that?" Iwaizumi snarls. He's trying _so hard_ not to blame this guy for bringing the Fire Nation's rage, because Suga says that his father was a good Fire Lord, but Iwaizumi wants _someone_ to blame. "What else can we do? We don't have anywhere to go!"

They both freeze and duck instinctively as a whistling sound is heard behind them, and a projectile narrowly misses the two by a few inches, rushing over their heads with a blaze of heat. Iwaizumi turns on his heel and thrusts his hand out, grabbing it with a tentacle of water and knocking it away from their homes.

His Tribemates are dying around him.

Iwaizumi growls and turns back to Oikawa.

"Fine," he says. "What do you suggest we do? I'm open to—" a cannonball gets through their defenses and smashes a house to pieces with a crash. "—suggestions!"

"I have a plan!" Oikawa shouts, barely audible over the whizzing flames. "But you'll have to trust me!"

Iwaizumi makes a face. He literally just met Oikawa an hour and a half ago, and now they're being attacked by the Fire Prince's people—but Iwaizumi doesn't have much of a choice, at this point. The Northern Water Tribe is strong—but not strong enough to fend off an entire Fire Nation army, and Iwaizumi knows this. It's a miracle that they've even lasted this long.

"Fine!" he yells over the noise and tremors from a flaming stone impacting with their ice wall. "What do you need us to do?"

Oikawa grins suddenly, and Iwaizumi immediately knows that this plan is going to end in some sort of explosion.

"I need several of the best waterbenders you have!" Oikawa shouts, and takes off running. Iwaizumi swears and follows him.

They weave through the defenders across the wall. At one point Oikawa is nearly hit by a fireball, but just before it impacts the firebender twists his body gracefully and uses a burst of flames out of his feet to propel himself forward and out of the way. It's fairly impressive, and Iwaizumi is forced to increase his pace to keep up with the Fire Prince.

Kiyoko is coming up ahead of them, standing on the top of the ice wall with her hands outstretched, geysers of water shooting up at her command to knock flaming projectiles off course. Suga is working with her, his eyes closed in fierce concentration. Iwaizumi can't take both of them, so he makes a decision and grabs Kiyoko by the shoulder.

"I need you," he says next to her ear. She nods, and Iwaizumi glances at Suga in apology. "Suga, I'm—"

"Go," Suga says, not opening his eyes. His brow furrows in concentration as he extends his hands out into the air and widens his stance, bracing himself for another wave of fire. "I've got it covered."

Iwaizumi doesn't have time to thank him, because Oikawa is already too far ahead. He's picked up Matsukawa on the way, and the waterbender looks slightly confused, but is cooperating, if slightly reluctantly, with the firebender. Iwaizumi and Kiyoko sprint to catch up with them, and suddenly they're at the edge of the wall.

"Where are we going?" Iwaizumi yells. Oikawa doesn't answer, but he suddenly reaches back and grabs Matsukawa's wrists—and then he jumps off of the wall, hurling them both towards the sea.

"Oika—oh, for the love of—"

Iwaizumi leaps over the side of the wall after them, with Kiyoko right behind him, and bends the water upwards to cushion his fall. It's freezing, as expected, and when Iwaizumi surfaces he is shivering already. He moves quickly to turn the water beneath him into a slab of ice.

Kiyoko and Matsukawa have done the same, but Oikawa is treading water, breathing little puffs of fire out of his mouth and nose. He isn't shivering—Iwaizumi assumes that has something to do with the flames—but his clothes and hair are plastered to his skin, and he is panting hard.

"You idiot," Iwaizumi spits out. "What are we even doing? You can't just say you have a plan and then _jump off of the_ _—_ _"_

"Calm down, Iwa-chan. We don't have time for that!"

Iwaizumi freezes.

"What did you just call me?"

Oikawa grins at him smugly. "Iwa-chan. Iwaizumi is just _so long._ I can't blurt out something with that many syllables in a war zone." Iwaizumi glares death at him and opens his mouth to protest this, but Oikawa's expression turns serious a moment later, and he swims over to Iwaizumi's ice and climbs on, making it rock back in forth in the choppy water.

There is a crash, and Iwaizumi flinches as a large fireball slams into their wall above them. Shards of ice rain down to the water, and the group covers their faces against the fragments. Cracks are beginning to spread under the onslaught.

They don't have much time.

Iwaizumi grabs Oikawa's shoulder and turns the Prince to face him.

"Listen," he says urgently. "I made the decision to trust you. Don't make me regret that. Tell us what your plan is." Kiyoko and Matsukawa nod in agreement.

"Right," Oikawa says, straightening his spine and pushing his shoulders back.

Suddenly, Iwaizumi can see a _Prince_ in front of him. He'd only seen Oikawa unconscious for the past three days, and for the entire two hours he's been awake Oikawa has been half in shock from loss and fear. But here, on this tiny slab of ice in front of a Tribe under siege… Iwaizumi can definitely see the right to command in Oikawa's posture.

The Fire Prince seems like someone Iwaizumi wouldn't mind following… not that he would ever admit that out loud.

"The Fire Nation's catapults are technically long ranged, but they do have a limit to their area of attack," Oikawa says. "During the first section of an attempted siege, the nation will send six ships in closer to attempt to bring down any defenses their enemies might have and thin out their opponents so that the ground force can get through easier. The rest of the fleet stays out of range in case someone has the capacity to fight back and sink their ships. The fact that they haven't yet sent in their ground troops means that they're being cautious. Ushijima—or whoever is in charge of this assault—knows what your waterbenders can do. If we want to make them even more worried, and stop this assault, we need to take out their catapults first."

"There are four of us," Matsukawa says incredulously. "You really think we can take out _six_ Fire Navy ships?"

Oikawa grins suddenly.

"You forget, I spent the past four weeks of my life on one of those," he says, jabbing his finger at the ships across the water. "As long as we go in pairs, we should be able to at least bring down their long range weapons. Bringing down the ship is a secondary objective. They can't get close enough to land their troops, so they'll be crippled without their catapults."

Iwaizumi blinks. It's an ambitious plan, and ordinarily he would be opposed to it. However, these aren't normal circumstances. Iwaizumi's very way of life is at risk, and too many of his tribe mates have already died in their desperate defense.

"Alright," he says, meeting Kiyoko's and Mattsun's stare steadily. A fireball crashes over their heads, so close to them that large ice chunks ricochet around them. "I don't have a better plan. Let's do this. I'll take His Majesty over there."

Oikawa frowns at him, as if unsure if Iwaizumi is mocking him or not. Iwaizumi's not even sure. He's only known Oikawa for two hours, after all.

"Sounds good," Matsukawa says, and he whips his arms around and stands on his ice slab, bending himself over the rolling waves towards the enemy ships. Kiyoko is right on his heels.

They're the best waterbenders in the tribe, besides Suga. Iwaizumi tries not to worry.

"Iwa-chan, let's go," Oikawa says, and Iwaizumi growls at him, because what is he, six? But he grabs the Prince's arm and uses his other hand to bend the water beneath him, and then they are moving with the _push and pull_ of the sea. Iwaizumi spurs them on faster with long, graceful movements, and they rocket towards the enemy ships.

Their method of transportation is effective, but it isn't subtle at all, and the firebenders see them coming a long ways off. Flames and fireballs are blasted towards them and Iwaizumi swerves frantically to avoid them as they get closer.

A hand taps on his shoulder, and suddenly Oikawa's lips are by his ear.

"Get closer, and throw me," he says over the roar of the water and flames. His tone is completely serious now, devoid of the joking tone that he had spoken with earlier. Oikawa discards his parka as they move, dropping it into the water, and Iwaizumi wonders if it would hinder him if he kept it on.

Iwaizumi clenches his teeth, rotating his free arm furiously and turning them around for a speedy pass down the side of the ship. The firebenders aren't expecting the close maneuvering, and as they pass below the main deck Iwaizumi makes the water swell beneath them at the same time as he shoves Oikawa upwards _hard._ The Fire Prince goes spiraling into the air, trailing flames from his feet and hands. Iwaizumi loses sight of him for a split second as he regains use of both his hands and his bending is suddenly much more efficient.

When he turns around again it is just in time to see Oikawa land on the deck with a shockwave of fire, the very epitome of grace even as he pushes his hands outwards to shoot twin bursts of flames at the enemy firebenders. Iwaizumi is still over the water, but he feels the temperature rise as Oikawa's flames dance.

Of course, he had suspected that Oikawa was talented—he was the prince, after all—but he hadn't realized that the firebender was _this_ good.

Oikawa keeps a constant stream of fire whirling around his body as a defense, moving the flames fluidly, almost as if they were water. His kicks are precise and punctuated by fireballs, and each breath seems perfectly measured, providing him with plenty of energy to bend.

His face, however, is the very picture of _rage._

Iwaizumi slows to a stop on the top of the water and stays there for a second, watching Oikawa rampage through the ranks of soldiers that emerge from the bowels of the ship. He feels no need to interfere.

He gets the feeling that this is personal.

Off to his left, Iwaizumi can see a freezing mist start to form around one of the other Fire Navy ships in the distance. When he squints, he can just make out the tiny forms of combatants on the deck, and even as he watches the ship buckles unsteadily as ice creeps over the hull.

That's one down, then—two, actually, since Oikawa seems to have successfully disabled the catapults on their own target.

Iwaizumi uses the water to propel himself onto the ship just in time to watch Oikawa knock the last soldier off of the side of the boat with a powerful kick.

"Oi," Iwaizumi says a bit grumpily. "Do you even need my help?"

Then he notices that Oikawa is swaying, and his fists are clenching and unclenching, over and over again. His breaths are coming out far too fast.

He's used up too much energy for just the first ship, but Iwaizumi understands why, and can't blame him.

"You alright?" Iwaizumi asks carefully, noting the scorched metal beneath his feet. Oikawa sucks in a deep breath and straightens, hurriedly wiping his sleeve across his face to get rid of the twin tears sliding across his face. Iwaizumi pretends not to see.

"I'm fine," Oikawa says a moment later. "Let's keep going."

He's a little unsteady on his feet, and Iwaizumi knows he'll definitely have to do more work on the next ship.

"It'll be harder this time," Iwaizumi says, staring out across the water at their second target. "They know we're coming. And on top of that, they'll know you're here, too. That was quite a… bright display."

"More fun for us then, I guess!" Oikawa says in a false-cheery voice, a smirk playing around his lips. He's caught his breath at least, and Iwaizumi glares at him.

"Get on my back," he growls. Oikawa obeys and Iwaizumi leaps off of the ship, bending the water to catch them again and then they are off, surfing across the water towards their next target.

This time, the catapult is aimed towards them.

"Look out!" Oikawa shouts, arms gripping Iwaizumi tightly, and Iwaizumi twists, diving underneath the water to avoid the large flaming rock. They resurface with Oikawa gasping for breath and Iwaizumi grounding his teeth in concentration. The second catapult is preparing to fire, and Iwaizumi commands the water to form a shield around them. The fireball misses them, barely, and Oikawa hisses in displeasure.

"They've got someone who actually knows how to aim these things on that ship."

"Do they normally not?" Iwaizumi shouts at him. He sees Oikawa shake his head out of the corner of his eyes.

"They're normally decent, but this is insane!"

Another attack is coming, and suddenly Iwaizumi feels Oikawa start to shimmy upwards, hooking his legs over Iwaizumi's head to sit on Iwaizumi's shoulders.

"What are you—!"

"Don't move, Iwa-chan. I know what I'm doing."

Iwaizumi feels it before he sees it—the crackle of an electrical current, right by the back of his head. Oikawa has gone silent on his shoulders, but he's moving his arms fluidly, drawing the lightning through his body.

Iwaizumi resists the urge to drop him into the icy water, because he's a little concerned about the safety of _his head._ But Oikawa keeps everything but a little static well under control, and as the next blazing fireball rockets towards them Oikawa takes aim at it and pulls the lightning one last time through his limbs before he fires it. The resulting explosion is _glorious._

"Nice shot," Iwaizumi shouts at him grudgingly, and then suddenly they're nearly on top of their target. Iwaizumi lifts his hands sharply, and the water pitches them into the air and onto the deck of the ship.

Iwaizumi is in his element. This is the sea, this is his home. He is _untouchable_ here. The water is his ship and the moon is his anchor (although he cannot see it), and he allows himself to be immersed in the steady _push-pull_ that he can always feel in his heart.

He moves like a storm, slashing through the Fire Nation soldiers with incredible ease. His rage and desire to defend his Tribe enhances his bending even more than usual. Water whips around him and he raises waves from the sea to knock others off of the deck. When he clenches his fists his ice shards are hard and unforgiving. These men have attacked his homeland, and he can't let them get away with that unscathed.

Behind him, he can feel more than see the heat from Oikawa's own battles, fast paced and bursting with colorful flames. Oikawa fights with a ferocity that Iwaizumi's rarely seen before in anyone but himself, and to his surprise, they complement each other near perfectly, defending each other and striking out in unison. They are pressed back to back in the center of the deck, and the Fire Nation can't even get close to the whirlwind of fire and ice they've become.

They take down the catapults in record speed, both their hearts filled with a vengeance all but begging to be fulfilled.

"Next!" Oikawa shouts, dashing towards the edge of the ship the moment the last man in sight falls (there's probably more down below, but that wasn't their goal anyway). "One more!" He jumps, and Iwaizumi growls in annoyance, doubling his speed in order to have the water catch the idiot Prince before he plunges into the icy cold.

They're speeding towards the final ship when Oikawa suddenly stiffens in Iwaizumi's hold, sucking in an almost panicky-sounding breath. Iwaizumi frowns in his general direction, unable to remove his focus from his bending.

"What is it?" he shouts. Oikawa's hand suddenly appears over his head, pointing towards a flag that's been raised on the top mast of the enemy ship.

"That," Oikawa says, so quietly that Iwaizumi barely hears him. "That's—that's really, _really_ bad."

Iwaizumi looks at it. It doesn't seem that special—it's orange, with a simple little design and writing that Iwaizumi can't quite read from here on it—but obviously it has much bigger significance to Oikawa.

They attack their final boat in much the same manner as they did last time, but the trust and fluidity that they had somehow produced earlier is marred by Oikawa's constant, nervous glances around the ship.

Iwaizumi doesn't know what he's so worried about. So far these soldiers have been exactly like all the others—easy enough to take down with a well-placed water whip, and too slow to draw their weapons fast enough when they notice that Iwaizumi can block their flames with little effort.

They clear the deck again, and Iwaizumi seals the enemy catapults in solid blocks of ice.

"There," he said. "Let's go meet up with Kiyoko and Matsu—"

He never has a chance to finish that sentence, because Oikawa tackles him to the ground with a shout as a wave of flames roar over his head. He hadn't even seen it coming, and if Oikawa hadn't slammed him into the metal of the ship he would have been incapacitated completely.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the _traitor_ prince. You're supposed to be dead, you know."

Oikawa's entire body freezes up, and he moves stiffly off of Iwaizumi. His fists clench shut as he turns to face the newcomer.

"If anyone's a traitor, it definitely isn't me, Terushima," Oikawa says firmly, but there's an undertone of fury in his voice that Iwaizumi hasn't heard before.

The newcomer laughs as Iwaizumi sits up. He has an undercut with spiky blond hair on his head, and there's a tiny tuft of it that falls over his forehead. There's a smirk on his face and a fireball in his hand.

(Terushima Yuuji)

"Playing by Ushiwaka's rules now, Teru?" Oikawa says loftily, waving a hand in the air. "I'd hoped you were better than that. It was your innovation that made my father promote you to Captain—your ability to work without someone giving you orders—but apparently he was wrong. I'm not impressed." His voice wavers a tiny bit at his own mention of his father, but his words have done their job—the smirk slides slowly off of Terushima's face, and his excited demeanor shifts into something much more sinister. His flames brighten. "Oh, dear," Oikawa hums obnoxiously. "Did I hit a nerve?" He slides his foot back into a firmer stance as he speaks, until he's in a neat firebending position.

Iwaizumi takes a deep breath and prepares himself for a fight.

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa suddenly says in a quiet voice, too quiet for Terushima to hear him, "I need you to do something. It's important. Within the ship are the Captain's quarters. There will be a box full of scrolls on the desk in the corner—that's standard protocol. The box contains all recent orders from the Fire Lord—we could learn something about Ushijima's plans if we got hold of them. I'll hold off Terushima if you—"

"Got it," Iwaizumi interrupts. It's a good plan—one that Iwaizumi himself never would have thought of. "Keep him off of me, though."

"Of course," Oikawa says, louder. "Do you doubt me, Iwa-chan?"

To spite him, Iwaizumi stares at the Prince flatly and says, "Yes."

Oikawa yelps, but Terushima has gotten antsy, and a fireball rockets towards them before Oikawa can find any time to whine. They both dodge, and Oikawa takes the initiative, sprinting in until he's in close quarters with the other firebender. It leaves the path to the staircase leading below wide open, and Iwaizumi runs for it, fearlessly leaping into the belly of the ship without looking back at the blazing battle behind him.

He hopes he's not making a mistake by trusting the Fire Prince. He bends a stream of water from the ocean after him just in case, and disappears into the darkness below.

* * *

 _Ever since his childhood, Kageyama has always wanted to fight._

 _He hears his titles everywhere he goes: the Firebending Prodigy, Kageyama Tobio. The King of Firebending. His parents show him off at every opportunity, even at a young age, and he spends the first decade of his life enjoying the attention._

 _They're right, after all. He_ is _a prodigy. He can perform moves that it takes masters weeks to figure out after seeing it only once. It is a truly amazing gift, his mother tells him, one fit for a noble of the Fire Nation._

 _But it isn't long until the attention becomes unwanted and unnecessary. Bending isn't a challenge_ _—_ _there's no thrill to it at all, and Kageyama's performances to visitors, and once even to the Fire Lord, become nothing but annoyances as the days pass._

 _He gets bored._

 _His home is nice. It is large, not extremely so, but appropriate enough for his family's noble status. However, it isn't even remotely close to satisfying._

 _Kageyama wants excitement. He wants to feel the rush of adrenaline, the thrill of the chase that the soldiers that pass by speak of._

 _He wants adventure._

 _The moment he is old enough, he puts in his papers to join the Fire Nation army. His skills can be put to good use there, and maybe, just maybe, he'll encounter someone with enough skill to keep up with him. He knows who he can beat, and who he can't (yet), and among them are several famous benders in the army_ _—_ _Bokuto Koutarou, for example_ _—_ _that he hopes to meet._

 _His parents mourn for him as if he has died, and express their anger and disappointment that he is not continuing his father's legacy of politics._

 _Kageyama hates politics. He tends to get angry and frustrated during debates, so he isn't very crushed over the "loss"._

 _His acceptance letter comes, and Kageyama packs his bags. They do not live far from the Capital, and with only two short days of travel Kageyama is in a uniform and attending his first training session of the Fire Nation Army._

 _It is pure coincidence that the very next day, Ushijima makes his move, and the Fire Lord and Lady are assassinated._

 _Suddenly Kageyama is enlisted in an army serving a traitorous Lord, and he is far away from home. He is scared, although he refuses to show it. Ushijima's spies are everywhere. One of Kageyama's roommates goes missing after protesting loudly that Ushijima wasn't even the rightful heir_ _—_ _they never saw him again. Kageyama learns to keep his mouth shut within a week._

 _Someone recognizes him. He supposes that it was only a matter of time, after all, from the extreme amount his parents had paraded him around, but his orders come in quickly after that, sending him up in ranks so that he can be an official soldier instead of a cadet. He is being sent to participate in the_ _—_ _and these are the exact words on the paper_ _—_ _"Conquering of the Northern Water Tribe"._

 _He is finally getting his adventure_ _—_ _but this isn't quite what he'd wanted._

 _He stares at the paper in shock, and then looks back up at the man who had given it to him, who is scrutinizing him closely, watching for his reaction. He thanks the man, keeping his face carefully blank, and closes his door._

 _He can't refuse the orders. They'll come after him if he does, and he'll be dead the next day. Kageyama does not support Ushijima, but he is Fire Lord. He doesn't have a choice in the matter._

 _He closes his eyes and exhales in an attempt to calm himself. There's always a silver lining, his parents had repeated to him when he was young, and reluctantly he shifts his mind to finding it_ — _perhaps he will be lucky enough to meet a waterbender who could put up a good fight. That was something to look forward to._

 _He struggles to put himself into the mindset of a soldier, uncaring and completely obedient to orders, but it does not go well. He's never been a big fan of authority_ — _but the day arrives, and Kageyama is on a ship headed to the Northern Water Tribe._

 _At least, he thinks bitterly as the ship rocks back and forth in the waves, he will get to fight._

 _Perhaps, if he is excited enough, and full of adrenaline, he will be able to ignore the massacre that will be occurring at the same time._

* * *

He isn't even getting to fight.

This is Kageyama's first battle (never mind that he's serving a corrupt Lord), and instead of being outside, blazing with glory and flames, Kageyama is stuck within the confining metal, as a _guard._

And he is _not happy about it._

(He still doesn't want to participate in this genocide of Ushijima's, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to _fight._ He's more than capable of fighting without killing someone.)

He can hear the _whirrrr-whoosh_ of the catapults above him, and the distant sounds of impacts on the wall.

He supposes it was his own fault that he's stuck down here. Earlier at the beginning of their trip he had (foolishly, now he knows) challenged the ship captain to a duel. It had been naive of him, and the captain had said so loudly but accepted the challenge.

Kageyama is the better bender, by miles, but he loses the fight. Badly.

He has no real world experience, first off. His fantasies and practice duels were nothing like the real thing. His Captain fights hard and fights _dirty._ Kageyama isn't expecting his smooth little street tricks—he's use to the proper and formal ways of fighting, and is thrown across the deck in his ignorance.

He is confined to the ship for his naivety after that. Not fit for battle, his Captain says.

He is standing in one of the lower hallways of the ship when the entire boat starts to rock back and forth, harder than usual. Kageyama is use to it by now—he had gotten his sea legs long ago. However, something is… different about this. The back and forth motion doesn't feel quite natural—as if someone, or some _thing,_ is causing it.

There are distant sounds of combat above him, and Kageyama tenses in excitement.

Maybe now he'll finally get to—

There are soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Kageyama doesn't even get the chance to shove on his bulky helmet before the person rounds the corner into sight.

It's a waterbender, or at least one of their Tribe—that he can tell by the blue clothing. He's never met a waterbender before. This one has spiky hair and a scowl on his face. A large orb of water is trailing behind him at little gestures from his hand. He tenses when he sees Kageyama, and his eyebrows shoot upwards. His mouth opens.

"How old are you?"

The sudden question is completely unexpected and makes Kageyama jerk in surprise before he comes to his senses and slides into a bending stance, glaring at the waterbender.

"Old enough," he says in annoyance, and the waterbender suddenly chuckles. It throws Kageyama off for a moment, and he stares at the waterbender in confusion.

"Not hardly," the waterbender says gruffly. "You're just a fledgling. Be grateful it was me you came across and not someone else. They wouldn't be as kind."

Kageyama blinks and puts all of his energy into a powerful fireball, filling the hallway with his flames from floor to ceiling. To his dismay, the waterbender calls the liquid orb behind him into action in a smooth motion, shielding himself from Kageyama's fire.

"Impressive," the waterbender breaths, and then suddenly he is diving closer, an ice dagger in his hand. Kageyama's eyes widen and he takes a step back, punching out two fireballs out of his fists in quick succession and sweeping his leg around to launch an arc of flame at his opponent.

"Don't underestimate me!" he growls, but the waterbender dodges all three attacks (although his ice dagger does melt from the intense heat, and that makes Kageyama grin with pride). Kageyama moves again, determinedly beginning a set of more complicated moves that he barely has room for in the narrow hallway, creating a blazing inferno—he's confident that this will end the battle, and high on the adrenaline rush he aims the flames directly for his enemy's head—

But the waterbender rolls underneath it and extends his hand in a sweeping upward motion, and suddenly Kageyama can't move, because his entire body is immersed in ice.

That… that shouldn't have happened. He's one of the best firebenders in the Fire Nation, there was no way he had been taken out that easily—

"You have a lot to learn," the waterbender says gruffly. His voice sounds slightly distorted from the ice. The cold is seeping into Kageyama's bones, and he struggles to tap into his inner fire to unfreeze himself, but he can't pull in enough breath to properly access his flames.

No, no, _no_ —how is this— _impossible_ —

"Don't worry," the waterbender says. "The ice will melt eventually, and I'm pretty sure you won't suffocate. Stay put."

He leaves, and inside his frozen prison, Kageyama clenches his jaw in a silent scream of frustration.

* * *

The thing that makes Terushima such a dangerous opponent is that he's unpredictable, and _incredibly_ fast. Oikawa is immediately put on the defensive despite making the first move.

"Dance with me, Prince," Terushima says with a grin, dropping low and attempting to sweep Oikawa's legs out from under him. He's just like Oikawa remembers—full of exhilaration and excitement. He throws himself into the air to avoid Terushima's legs and swings his foot down with a blazing trail of fire towards his head, but Terushima rolls to the side and responds immediately with a string of quick fireballs.

Iwaizumi has been gone for a while. Oikawa hopes he isn't dead.

Their fast-paced battle takes them both towards the edge of the ship, and Oikawa is the one to make the first mistake—he lands after a more complicated series of aerial moves slightly off balance, and Terushima takes advantage of that, darting forwards and slashing his hands through the air to surround his fists in flames. Oikawa tries to move backwards from Terushima's ferocious attack, but he stumbles, and Terushima's hand grazes his ribs, burning through his shirt and scalding his skin. Oikawa hisses in pain and rotates, spinning to the side and putting more distance between them.

Terushima's smirk is annoying. Oikawa makes it his goal to punch it off.

He flexes his fingers, and two fire daggers appear in his fists. Terushima's eyes widen as Oikawa launches himself at his opponent with quick, slashing strikes, trailing flames from the small blades. Terushima backs up, weaving around Oikawa's movements, and suddenly jumps into the air, using both feet to toss a powerful fireball at Oikawa's face. Oikawa dives to the side, and the burn across his ribs from earlier flares up in pain.

"Above you!" Terushima sings, all confidence and bravado, and Oikawa rolls to avoid what would have been a devastating blow from Terushima's heel. However, the move puts the captain slightly off balance, and in a reversal of roles Oikawa takes advantage of that, stepping closer and hitting Terushima in the chest with a burst of fire that sends him flying backwards. It isn't too effective due to Terushima's armor, but the captain coughs as he rises to his feet, wincing a little as he takes a step towards Oikawa. The scorch mark across the front of his armor is impressive.

"Ugh, I'll feel that one in the morning," he groans, and then his smirk returns. "But I can do better."

Oikawa bares his teeth at him. "Shut up," he says. "I was going easy on you, but I won't anymore."

Terushima grins at the challenge, and steps closer. They circle for a minute, each searching for an opening, until Terushima grins and spins down onto his hands, kicking up a whirlwind of fire with both feet. Oikawa clenches his jaw and parts the flames, a defense move that uses up a lot of energy, and suddenly Terushima is flying in. Oikawa throws himself backwards, but Terushima is persistent, and their fight shifts to close combat, flaming kicks and punches coming near enough to singe both their hair.

Oikawa growls and throws his hands outwards, and a shockwave of fire erupts from his palms. Terushima shouts and jumps backwards, and then they are back to where they were before, circling each other warily.

Terushima grins at him, a dangerous spark glinting in his eyes.

"It's hard to find people who can keep up with me, Prince. This is fun!"

"Oh, yes, our definitions of fun are exactly the same," Oikawa snaps sarcastically. "I always have people try to kill me when I'm looking for a good time!"

Something flickers in Terushima's eyes at Oikawa's words—a brief second of hesitation and doubt, and Oikawa doesn't exactly understand it, but he jumps at the opportunity anyway, shooting a massive stream of fire from his hands. Terushima yelps and crosses his arms in front of his face in an attempt to block the flames, and as a consequence of that he is too slow to react in time when Oikawa leaps at him and brings his elbow around to slam hard into the side of Terushima's head. The Fire Nation Captain lets out a strangled cry at the impact and drops like a stone, limp against the hard metal of the deck, completely unconscious.

Oikawa grits his teeth and clutches at his elbow, grimacing at the way his entire arm throbs and tingles from the blow.

"Ow, ow, ow—ugh, that hurt! Ow—"

It's just his luck that Iwaizumi finds him like that, hunched over his arm and whining in pain. The waterbender rolls his eyes.

"Really?"

"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa gasps, glaring at him. "Come on, give me some credit! I _did_ knock him out!"

That in itself, Oikawa knows, is actually strange. Terushima is no pushover. His wild and agile attacks made him an incredibly formidable foe, and he shouldn't have been defeated so easily. If it hadn't been for that split second of hesitation that Oikawa had seen… well, Oikawa wasn't entirely sure if he would have gained the upper hand.

Iwaizumi huffs in annoyance and gestures back towards the inside of the ship in a sweeping motion. At first Oikawa isn't sure what he's doing, but then he realizes that Iwaizumi is using his bending to lift a large, human-shaped ice block onto the deck.

"Um… what is that?" he asks hesitantly, and Iwaizumi sets the block onto the floor with a grunt.

"One of yours," he says. "Too young to die, and not fast enough to stop me. So this happened. He was powerful, though. But he didn't have _near_ enough experience to fight."

"Oh," Oikawa says softly. "Thank you." He can't quite make out the face of the soldier inside the ice, but he appreciates Iwaizumi's mercy anyway.

Most of these soldiers are just following Ushijima's orders, after all.

"Here," he says, stepping away from Terushima's unconscious body. "Can you freeze him for me? We'll be in trouble if he gets up again."

Iwaizumi nods and does so, pinning the Fire Navy Captain to the deck with ice cuffs around his sprawled limbs. He also slides closer to Oikawa and holds out a slightly damp scroll—Ushijima's orders to the fleet.

"Thanks," Oikawa says, tucking the scroll away. He'll have to look at it later.

There's the sound of splashing water coming from over the side of the ship, and after a few moments Kiyoko and Matsukawa propel themselves out of the water and onto the ship, landing with a grace that Oikawa pretends he isn't jealous of.

"That's it," Kiyoko says. "All six have been taken care of." Matsukawa grins beside her, and Oikawa sighs in relief. That's one obstacle down, at least.

"Nice work, you two," Iwaizumi praises. "Now, what's our next move?"

Oikawa blinks when he realizes that all three of them have turned to stare at him, and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Um… I may or may not have forgotten to think this far ahead? But!" he continues hastily as Iwaizumi's face darkens, "Give me a second. I can figure something—"

"Uh," Matsukawa suddenly interrupts, pointing across the bay. "I think we have a problem."

Oikawa follows his finger and swears.

There are four small, faster moving ships clinging to the sides of the little cove off to their left. Each one isn't armed at all for combat, but is filled to the brim with land troops, and Oikawa clenches his teeth at the sight. The ships are also far enough to the side that Suga and the other waterbenders won't see them until they've nearly arrived at the shore, and despite that placing the troops a decent walk away from the tribe, Oikawa knows that the waterbenders won't be able to maintain their defenses against land invaders, despite it almost being full moon. There simply aren't enough of them.

Before Oikawa can even open his mouth suggest action, Iwaizumi has already grabbed him, and suddenly they are speeding back towards the tribe even faster than before. Oikawa looks back and sees the ship rocking back and forth in their wake, and the block of frozen soldier skitters across the deck and plunges into the ocean as he watches—

But it's too late for Oikawa to say anything, because at this point he's pretty sure Iwaizumi's tribe means much more to him than any _single_ Fire Nation soldier, even a young one like Iwaizumi had spoken about before.

The travel across the water feels like a blur—they are racing against the ships, and when they finally make it to the water tribe's now battered and cracked ice wall it is to see that only a handful of the tribespeople remain. Suga is waiting for them with Kunimi at his side, both with grim expressions and several bleeding scratches across their skin.

"Iwaizumi, we need to—" Suga begins once they've made it to the top of the wall, but Iwaizumi cuts him off.

"We need to evacuate, _now,_ " he says firmly, gripping Suga's forearm. "They're landing troops as we speak, there was nothing we could do about it."

Suga's face crumbles, and he takes a quick breath, clenching his jaw even as his entire body trembles in sorrow.

"Suga—" Kiyoko says, stepping closer, but Suga shakes his head, taking a step back.

"No," he forces out, lifting his head towards the soot-filled sky. "No, you're right, that's the only thing we can do right now." He squeezes his eyes shut. "My father is dead."

Oikawa sucks in a sharp breath and dips his head in despair. That makes Suga the chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe now—a situation not so unlike his own.

"Fire Nation troops, coming in from the West! I can see them!" a sentry shouts, and just like that, Suga regains his composure, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Right," he says, taking command. "We're pulling out. The lives of our people are much more important than several dozen igloos that we can re-bend in mere minutes. Fall back to the ice plains! We must protect the women and children!"

The waterbenders move as one, and Oikawa finds himself running with them, side by side with Iwaizumi.

No one looks back as they leave the Tribe for what Oikawa instinctively will be the last time. Suga seems to be right—the lives of the people are much more important than the ice buildings they've lived in all their lives, and too many of those lives have already been lost today.

Oikawa can't help but feel like it's all his fault.

He will find a way to get revenge on Ushijima for this.

Even if it's the last thing he does.


End file.
